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​​​​​Maryland Statistics

Get to know Maryland better with the easy-to-use Data Explorer. Compare information on education, the economy, taxes and quality of life on different locations within Maryland or with other states and metro areas. ​​

​​​​​​​Maryland Rankings

Choose from eight categories of rankings including Workforce, R&D, Income and Wealth, Quality of Life, and Education to find out how Maryland stacks up against the competition.

​For the eighth year in a row, Maryland ranks first in the percentage of public high school seniors who scored at the mastery level on Advanced Placement (AP) exams, with 29.6% earning a score of 3 or higher in 2013. Maryland ranks second among the states in the percentage of graduates taking AP tests during high school at 47.4%, up from 25.7% in 2003. Further, Maryland ranks third among the states in the percentage of Black/African American graduates having success on the tests, comprising 11.7% of students receiving a grade of 3 or better during their high school career. 1

Maryland is home to 16 higher education institutions designated by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security as National Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance education and research, tied for first place in the nation. 2

According to Quality Counts, Education Week’s annual assessment of key indicators of student success, Maryland’s K-12 public school system ranks third overall based on three graded categories. Maryland ranks second in the achievement category which rates states on current academic performance, change over time and poverty-based gaps.3

According to U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges survey, Johns Hopkins University holds the following rankings: 4

​​12th overall among top national universities that offer doctoral degrees and 19th in vest value

seventh, ranked by high school counselors as offering the best undergraduate education

third among top research medical schools, with top five rankings in the following specialties: AIDS, drug and alcohol abuse, geriatrics, internal medicine, pediatrics, and women’s health

15th in undergraduate engineering, with a first place ranking in both undergraduate and graduate biomedical engineering, and eighth in undergraduate and ninth in graduate environmental health engineering

top ten in graduate library and information science including archives and preservation, information systems, school library media and services for children and youth​

13th best online graduate engineering program

Other Maryland colleges/universities that rank highly in the U.S. News and World Report survey include:
6

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County ranks first among up-and-coming national universities for the sixth year in a row, and fifth best for undergraduate teaching; it also has the 19th best online graduate informatin technology program

The University of Maryland, Baltimore ranks among the top five U.S. law schools in clinical training, health care law and part-time law

St. Mary’s College of Maryland ranks sixth among top public liberal arts colleges in the nation, and third as a best college for veterans

Loyola University Maryland ranks third among top northern universities that offer undergraduate and master’s degrees and 15th regionally as a best value school; the Sellinger School of Business ranks 15th nationally in undergraduate and graduate finance, and 19th and 20th respectively in undergraduate and graduate accounting

Mount St. Mary’s University ranks 19th among top northern universities and third regionally as a best college for veterans

Towson University ranks 15th and Salisbury University 17th best among public northern universities that offer undergraduate and master’s degrees

Hood College ranks 14th in best values among northern universities that offer undergraduate and master’s degrees, and 10th regionally as a best college for veterans

Maryland Institute College of Art ranks seventh overall for its master of fine arts program, with top ten rankings in graphic design, painting/drawing and sculpture

Morgan State University ranks 15th among historically black colleges

The United States Naval Academy ranks first in the nation among top public liberal arts colleges, and is ranked first by high school counselors for offering the best education to their students

The United States Naval Academy ranks sixth in undergraduate engineering (among schools without PhD programs); its programs in electronics/communications and mechanical engineering rank in the top ten

The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences ranks fifth in nursing-anesthesia

According to a U.S. News and World Report ranking of U.S. public high schools, Maryland places fifth in the percentage of schools awarded a gold or silver medal based on performance on state proficiency tests and how well schools prepare students for college-level work. 7

The University of Maryland, College Park places ninth in a Kiplinger ranking of the 100 best values among public college for 2015 based on a combination of academics and affordability. Three other Maryland public institutions also make the top 100, including St. Mary’s College, Salisbury University and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. 8

Johns Hopkins University ranks 11th in U.S. News and World Report's list of Best Global Universities, which rates institutions on their academic research performance and global and regional reputations. Further, Hopkins ranks in the top ten in seven subject specialties. 9

Johns Hopkins University is 15th in a ranking of world universities based on a variety of measurable criteria, and 18th for reputation among the most powerful global university brands based on a survey by Times Higher Education. 10

The University of Maryland, College Park ranks 14th among U.S. public universities according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities. UMCP ranks among the top 25 universities in the world and top 10 U.S. public universities in physics, computer science, social science and economics/business.
11

Johns Hopkins University ranks 17th worldwide and 15th in the U.S. among research universities according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities. Hopkins ranks fourth in the world in the field of medicine, 13th in life sciences and 14th in physics. 12

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Resources

1The College Board, 10th Annual AP Report to the Nation, February 2014.

2 National Security Agency, Central Security Service.

3Education Week, Quality Counts 2015, January 2, 2015.

4 U.S. News and World Report, America’s Best Colleges 2015, and Best Graduate Schools 2016 Editions.

5 U.S. News and World Report, America’s Best Colleges 2015 and Best Graduate Schools 2016 Editions.

6 U.S. News and World Report, America’s Best Colleges 2015 and Best Graduate Schools 2016 Editions.

7 U.S. News and World Report, Best High Schools 2014, April 2014.

8 Kiplinger’s Best Values in Public Colleges, December 2014.

9 U.S. News and World Report, Best Global Universities, October 2014.

10 Times Higher Education, World University Ranking 2014-2015 and World Reputation Ranking 2014.

​​Maryland holds the following rankings for women and minority business ownership:
1

​First in the percentage of women-owned firms as a share of all firms (32.6%); and sixth in the percent of women-owned firms with employees (7.4%)

Second in the percentage of African American-owned firms as a share of all firms (19.3%); first in the percent of African American-owned firms with employees (2.1%); and seventh in the total number of African American owned firms (102,130)

Seventh in the percentage of Asian-owned firms as a share of all firms (6.8%); and first in the percent of Asian-owned firms with employees (3.2%)

12th in the percentage of Hispanic-owned firms as a share of all firms (4.9%); and 13th in the percent of Hispanic-owned firms with employees (1.1%)

​Maryland ranks third per capita and sixth overall in Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) awards. Small businesses in Maryland received $94 million from the U.S. Small Business Administration in FY 2013 through the highly competitive SBIR Program (equating to $15.77 per capita).
2

Maryland ranks seventh overall among the states and Baltimore ranks second among large metros in a report that looks at growth and economic clout of women-owned firms, including growth in employment, revenue and number of firms.
3

The Washington DC metro (which includes suburban Maryland) ranks second among metros with 316 companies on Inc. magazine’s list of the 5000 fastest growing private companies in the U.S. Among states, Maryland places fifth when ranked by Inc. 5000 companies as a percentage of total companies.
4

According to Popular Mechanics, Baltimore ranks fifth among the "Best Startup Cities in America." Baltimore is noted in particular for its low cost of doing business and increasing number of successful incubators and accelerators.
5

​​Maryland ranks eighth among the states in the number of venture capital deals for 2014, and 15th in the dollar value of deals. A total of 87 venture capital deals in Maryland in 2014 resulted in over $363 million in investment.
6 ​

​

Resources

1 U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 2007 Survey of Business Owners; ranking excludes Washington, DC.

2 U.S. Small Business Administration, data for FY 2013​​, and U.S. Census Bureau.

3 American Express OPEN, The 2014 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report.

4 Inc.com, September 2014 and U.S. Bureau of the Census.

5 PopularMechanics.com, January 2015.​

6 State Science & Technology Institute using data from PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association’s 2014 MoneyTree Report.

​Maryland is one of only ten states with a “triple triple” general obligation bond rating from the three major bond rating houses, and the state has the longest running Triple-A rating with a “stable” outlook from Standard & Poor’s, dating back to 1961. 1

​Maryland ranks second per capita and fourth in total dollar value with $26.5 billion in federal government contracts. For Department of Defense contracts, the state ranks third per capita and fourth in total dollar value with $11.6 billion. 2

According to a study on business taxes by Ernst & Young, Maryland ranks eighth nationally in state and local business taxes as a share of private sector GSP. Maryland has a total effective business tax rate of 3.8% on economic activity compared with 4.7% for the U.S. as a whole. Further, Maryland businesses pay the second lowest share of state and local taxes, with business taxes accounting for 30.9% of total taxes collected in the state, compared with 44.9% for the national average. Further, 3

In the 2014 Enterprising States study which looks at how states are creating an environment in which the private sector can thrive, Maryland ranks first in “Technology and Entrepreneurship,” and third in the human capital “Talent Pipeline.” 4

In the most recent Business Facilities Ranking Report, Hagerstown/Washington County ranks first among metros as a labor market recovery leader, and Mongtomery County in suburban Maryland ranks third as a renewable energy leader. Further, the Port of Baltimore ranks second in the nation as a post-Panamax ready port. 5

According to fDi Intelligence, a division of the Financial Times, Baltimore ranks fourth among large cities for the quality of its infrastructure and tenth for economic potential. Also in the American Cities of the Future report, Washington DC ranks third for human resources and ninth for infrastructure among major cities, including the surrounding metropolitan area. 6

​The Port of Baltimore ranks first among U.S. ports for the handling of autos and light trucks, farm and construction machinery. Overall Baltimore is ranked ninth for the total dollar value of cargo and 13th for cargo tonnage among all ports in the nation. 7

In its annual analysis of economic strength, Policom ranks the Washington DC metro area third and Baltimore 12th among 381 U.S. metropolitan areas based on jobs, earnings, small business growth, and the economic impact of these factors on the standard of living of metro workers and residents. 8

Maryland ranks ninth in the 2014 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard compiled by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. The report ranks states on the adoption and implementation of policies to forge an energy efficient economy which reduces energy costs, spurs job growth, and benefits the environment. 9

Four Maryland jurisdictions are ranked in the top ten for their size class in the Center for Digital Government’s 2014 Digital Counties Survey. Montgomery County ranks second and Baltimore County sixth among counties with a population of 500,000 or more, and Charles County ranks first among counties with populations under 150,000. The survey examines how governments use new technologies to involve citizens, improve government transparency, and increase sustainable measures while improving online services. 10

Maryland ranks fifth in the state portal category and Baltimore County is a finalist among county portals in the Center for Digital Government’s 2014 Best of the Web awards. The awards recognizes governments for outstanding portals and websites based on innovation, functionality, productivity and performance. 11

Resources

1 Maryland State Treasurer’s office press release, February 19, 2015.

2 National Priorities Project, data for 2013.

3 Ernst & Young, Total State and Local Business Taxes, State-by-State Estimates for Fiscal Year 2013, prepared in conjunction with the Council on State Taxation.

4 U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Enterprising States 2014: Re-creating Equality of Opportunity.

5 Business Facilities magazine, 2014 Rankings Report.

6 fDi Magazine, American Cities of the Future 2013/14.

7 Maryland Port Administration press release, February 19, 2015.

8 Policom Corporation, Economic Strength Rankings – 2014.

9 American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, 2014 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard.

10 2014 Digital Counties Survey, Center for Digital Government.

11 Center for Digital Government, Best of the Web and Digital Achievement Awards 2014.

​​Maryland has the highest median household income for 2013 at $72,483, which is 39% above the national median.
1

Maryland maintained its first place ranking in millionaires per capita for 2014 with 7.7% of households having $1 million or more in investable or liquid assets.
2

Maryland has the third lowest poverty rate for 2013, with 10.1% of the population living in poverty, compared with 15.8% for the U.S. as a whole.
3

Maryland ranks among the top three states in the nation in the economic mobility of its workers. The Pew Center on the States used Census data to identify where workers are more likely to move up or down the earnings ladder, and Maryland is one of only three states to beat the national average on all three factors evaluated, including absolute mobility, and upward and downward relative mobility.
4

Maryland is home to four of the top 20 large counties in the nation for median household income. Howard County ranks fourth ($109,476), Montgomery eighth ($98,326), Calvert 13th ($94,196) and Charles 19th ($88,797) among 800+ counties with a population of 65,000 or greater.
5

Maryland ranks fifth among the states in per capita personal income ($53,826).
6

Resources

1 U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 2013 American Community Survey.

2 Phoenix Marketing International, Ranking of U.S. States by Millionaires per Capita 2010-2014.

3 U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 2013 American Community Survey.

4 Pew Center on the States, Economic Mobility of the States, May 10, 2012.

5 U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 2013 American Community Survey.

​​Maryland has maintained its second place ranking in the Milken Institute’s biennial State Technology and Science Index for 2014. ​According to study results, Maryland received top five rankings in all of the index components, including human capital investment, research and development inputs, risk capital and entrepreneurial infrastructure, technology and science workforce, and technology concentration and dynamism. The Index measures the technology and science assets for states, ranking them on their ability to foster and sustain a technology sector, which is crucial in determining a region's future economic success.
1

Maryland/Suburban Washington DC places fifth in a ranking of the top ten U.S. biopharma clusters based on criteria including patents, NIH grant funding, venture capital, lab space and number of jobs.
2

Maryland ranks fifth in the 2014 State New Economy Index a measure of a state’s economy as knowledge-based, globalized, entrepreneurial, information technology-driven and innovation-based.
3​

​​​Maryland ranks third among the states in the square footage of LEED-certified commercial and institutional green buildings per capita for 2014. By using less energy, LEED buildings save money for businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for workers and the larger community.4

Suburban Maryland/Metro DC, spanning the Rockville and Gaithersburg areas in Montgomery County northwest to Frederick County, ranks eighth among U.S. life sciences clusters with top five rankings in the component factors of life sciences establishment concentration, life sciences venture cpaital funding and NIH funding.
5

Maryland ranks highly in the technology intensity of its business base. The state ranks fourth in high-tech businesses as a share of all business establishments (11.6%), and third in employment in high-technology businesses as a share of all employment (16.0%).
6

According to a Brookings Institution study, Baltimore ranks in the top ten among large metropolitan areas for the concentration of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) jobs, with 23% of jobs requiring high-level STEM knowledge. The report cites Baltimore for being home to Johns Hopkins University and other hospital systems, and having a strong defense industry cluster in the suburbs.
7

Baltimore ranks tenth among U.S. metros in a Forbes ranking of cities creating the most technology jobs, based on the growth of tech industry employment and STEM occupation employment. Further, Baltimore/Washington DC ranks second among highest paying cities for tech jobs, also according to Forbes.
8

Resources

1 The Milken Institute, State Technology and Science Index: Enduring Lessons for the Intangible Economy, November 2014.

2 Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News, March 9, 2015.

3 Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, The 2014 State New Economy Index.

Johns Hopkins Hospital ranks third in the U.S. News and World Report honor roll of best hospitals in the nation, with excellence in fifteen out of sixteen specialty categories evaluated. Further​more, Johns Hopkins Children‘s Center ranks tenth nationally among children’s hospitals, with top ten rankings in three pediatric specialties.
1

Marylanders ranks second in the 2013 Generosity Index which measures the extent and depth of generosity. The index is based on percentage of tax filers donating to charity, in which Maryland ranks first, and percentage of aggregate income donated, in which the state ranks fifth.
2

Maryland ranks fifth among the states in active physicians per 100,000 population, with over 22,000 doctors statewide.
3

Maryland ranks seventh in the percentage of households with a broadband internet subscription, and eighth for percentage of households with a computer. 4

Baltimore ranks fourth and Washington DC, which includes suburban Maryland, ranks third among cities where African Americans are doing the best economically. The ranking is based on household income, home ownership, self-employment and population change. 5

Maryland ranks 10th in the nation in child well-being according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2013 Kids Count Data Book. The report ranks states based on their performance across 16 child well-being indicators, and Maryland scores particularly well in education factors. 6

Washington DC metro, which includes suburban Maryland, ranks third among best places for young adults. The ranking is an analysis of large U.S. metro areas based on economic growth, moderate living costs, and concentration of college educated workers in their 20s and early 30s. Among East Coast cities, Washington ranks first and Baltimore ranks fourth. 7

Baltimore ranks sixth in Kiplinger.com’s ranking of the “Ten Best Cities for Singles.” The ranking cites Baltimore for its high incomes, moderate cost of living, and dozens of waterfront shops, restaurants and attractions. 8

Howard County, Maryland, is eighth in a nationwide ranking of counties as best places to work. The analysis is based on employment, salaries, population growth and commute times. 9

Columbia/Ellicott City, Maryland is ranked sixth among America’s “Best Places to Live” in the CNN/Money magazine 2014 ranking of small cities. The area is cited for its diverse and outstanding schools, access to parks and recreational facilities, and abundance of good jobs. Rockville, Maryland also placed in the top 25 in the ranking of small cities.
10

The Deep Creek Lake area of Garrett County, Maryland is ranked among the top ten best destinations for green travelers by Travel Nerd, a division of NerdWallet. The ranking is based on initiatives to “green” the area, as well as access to nature and eco-friendly activities.
11

Resources

1 U.S. News and World Report, June 2014 and July 2014.

2 The Fraser Institute, Generosity in Canada and the United States: The 2013 Generosity Index, December 2013.

3 Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, data for 2014; ranking excludes Washington, DC.

4 U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 2013 American Community Survey.

​Johns Hopkins University ranks first among U.S. colleges and universities in total National Institutes of Health awards, including grants and contracts for research, development, training and fellowships ($619 million).
1

Johns Hopkins University ranks first among academic institutions in the nation in research and development expenditures, totaling $2.17 billion in FY 2013. The university also ranks first in federally funded research ($1.90 billion).
2

​Maryland ranks first in Natio​nal Institutes of Health research and development contract awards ($440 million).
3

Maryland ranks second in federal obligations for research and development ($15.6 billion). On a per capita basis, Maryland ranks first among the states in federal R&D obligations.
4

Maryland ranks second in research and development intensity, which is the ratio of R&D expenditures to gross domestic product (GDP) by state. Maryland ranks fourth in total R&D performance, first in federal intramural R&D, and fourth in R&D performed at universities and colleges.
5

Maryland ranks fifth in R&D expenditures at universities and colleges, totaling $3.45 billion in FY 2013. Further, Maryland ranks third in federal government R&D spending at universities and colleges with $2.72 billion.
6

According to the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer, Maryland is home to 72 federal laboratories, more than twice as many as any other state.7

Johns Hopkins University ranks sixth worldwide among universities in the number of World Intellectual Property Organization administered Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) international patent applications for 2013, totaling 116.8

Resources

​

1 National Institutes of Health, data for FY 2014.

2 National Science Foundation, data for FY 2013.

3 National Institutes of Health, data for FY 2014.

4 National Science Foundation, data for FY 2012, and U.S. Bureau of the Census; ranking excludes Washington, DC.

​Marylan​d has the highest concentration of employed doctoral scientists and engineers. The state ranks first in employed PhD scientists and engineers per 100,000 employed workers (1,288), with a first place ranking for PhD scientists (1,031) and third for PhD engin​eers (178). Maryland also holds rankings in the following fields for employed doctoral scientists per 100,000 employed workers:

first in biological sciences (466)

first in mathematical sciences (75)

first in health (83)

fourth in physical sciences (221)

fifth in computer and information sciences (28)1

Based on Census data compiled by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, compared to other states Maryland ranks:

​fourth overall in employment and earnings equity

first in median annual earnings full-time, year-round for employed women

first in percent of employed women in managerial or professional occupations

second in percent of women living above poverty

fourth in percent of women 25 years and older with four or more years of college

fourth in the percent of civilian women in the labor force 2 ​

​Maryland ranks second in the percentage of professional and technical workers (27.8%) in the workforce.
3

​Maryland ranks third among the states in the percentage of the population age 25 and above with a bachelor’s degree or higher (37.4%) and second in the percentage with a graduate or professional degree (17.1%). 4

Maryland ranks fourth by employment in measuring and control instruments manufacturing with 12,200 jobs. In addition, the state ranks fifth in computer systems design with 66,900 jobs and seventh in engineering services with 33,400 jobs. Other Cyberstates 2013 rankings include:

fourth – Concentration of technology jobs, which employ 8.6% of the private sector workforce in 2012

ninth – High-tech average wage of $96,500, or 94% more than the average private sector wage

11th – Number of high-tech workers at 171,500 in 2012

11th – High-tech payroll of $16.6 billion in 2012

14th – Number of high-tech establishments totaling 12,800 in 2012
5

Maryland ranks fourth among the states in federal government employment, with 144,603 non-military federal jobs in 2013. On a per capita basis, the state ranks first with 244 federal jobs per 10,000 residents. Non-military federal jobs generate $13.1 billion in total wages in Maryland, ranking fourth among the states. Further, these jobs pay better in Maryland than in any other state, with an average annual wage of $90,303, which is 24% higher than the national average.
6

Baltimore ranks 10th in Forbes’ listing of the Best Paying Cities for Women 2014. The ranking is based on Census data comparing women’s’ median earnings to men’s. 7